BEIJING: Holiday travelers throughout China were preparing for potential transportation disturbances following a Friday weather bureau alert predicting dense fog and haze blanketing regions spanning from northern Hebei province to southern Shanghai over the next 24 hours.
The inaugural red alert for fog by the Central Meteorological Observatory since 2017 has been issued, with anticipated improvements in conditions starting Saturday evening as a cold air wave sweeps across the nation.
Anticipated severe foggy conditions are set to affect regions including parts of Hebei, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanghai, and Chongqing from Friday morning, as highlighted by the National Meteorological Centre. Projections indicate dense fog in specific areas, notably in Hebei, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shanghai, resulting in significantly reduced visibility of less than 200 meters, dropping to below 50 meters in certain locales.
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The forecast for the northern regions, extending from the Yellow River to the Huai River, suggests light to moderate haze, with heavier haze impacting Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan. The adverse weather conditions stem from heightened humidity levels and poor atmospheric diffusion, according to the meteorological experts. China, in the midst of a year marked by climate extremes, continues to navigate these challenging conditions.
The central observatory urged the public on Friday to stay updated on weather and traffic alerts while recommending a reduction in outdoor activities. Additionally, it advised residents in certain areas of Shandong, Anhui, and Jiangsu to limit outings unless absolutely necessary.
“You can’t see clearly the road conditions and traffic lights ahead,” the observatory said on social media.
Temporary suspensions affected ferry routes in Shanghai, along with closures of highways and a bridge to a container port. At the Bund waterfront, a dense gray fog nearly obscured the vibrant skyscrapers. In Jiangsu, various expressway sections stayed closed from Thursday evening onward, while Hebei and Henan temporarily shut segments of multiple highways on Friday morning due to weather conditions, as reported by state television CCTV and provincial capital authorities.
